Separation of nickel from copper.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT R. MAFFETT, OF BAYONNE,

NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO INTER- NATIONAL NICKEL COMBANY, ACORPORATION OFNEW JERSE Y- SEPARATION OF NICKEL FROM COPPER- Patented Dec. 11, 1906.

Application filed December 23, 1905. Serial lilo. 293.133.

To all whom it may concern.-

' Be it known that 1, ROBERT R. MAFFETT,

of Bayonne, Hudson county, New Jersey,-

' ores, inwhich' these metals are associated, it

has been the ractice to smelt the matte containing s' fids of nickel,copper, and

iron in a cupola-furnace, together with a charge of coke and sulfate ofsoda in the form of crude niter-cake. The carbon of the coke reduces thesulfate of soda to sulfid of-soda, and this material having a solventaction for the copper and iron sulfids contained in the matte willdissolve them to a considerable extent, so that when the molten contentsof the furnace are tapped into settling-pots the materials will stratifytherein, the sulfid of nickel, together with some sulfid of soda,settling to the bottom, the sulfid of copper being dissolved in the massof sulfid of soda which floats on the top. The mass when solidified isdivided into tops and bottoms, the tops containing sulfids of copper andiron in solution in'the sulfid of soda and the bottoms containing sulfidof nickel, together with such of the sulfids of copper and iron as havenot been taken up in solution in the sulfid of soda.

- In the process as practiced heretofore the imperfect solubility of thesuliids of copper and iron in the sodium compound has made it necessaryto subject the bottoms to several successive smelting operations,-generally four in all, in order to effect the separation to the desireddegree and to obtain a product containing less than one per cent ofcopper. I have discovered that the operation can be performed much moreeffectively and the work which has heretofore been accomplished by fouror five smeltings effected as well in two smeltings by the use of apolysulfid of soda instead of sim 1e sulfid of soda. Thus if crudesulfur be added to the charge in the cu 01a it will convert the sulfidof soda into a p0 ysulfid and will increase its solvent ac tion, so thattwo smeltings will be sufficient to effect the separation of the nickel,iron,

andcop er. I have found-it sufiicient to add .to t e usual charge ofsodium sulfid in the-cupola-furnace three to four per cent. of itsweight in sulfur, mixing it with the sodium sulfid when it is chargedinto the cupola. Those skilled in the art,however,will be able to modifymy invention in many ways and to form the polysulfid by other modes ofprocedure, all that is necessary being to provide for the solution ofthe copper and iron sulfids a polysulfid of an alkaline metal insteadofa simple sulfid as ordinarily employed.

I claim as my invention- 1. An improvement in the art of separat ingmatte containing copper and another metal .or metals, which consists infusing the matte to ether with a polysulfid of an alka line meta 2. Animprovement in the art of separat ing matte containing copper andanother metal or metals, which consists in bringing the molten matteinto contact with a polysulfid of an alkaline metal.

3. An improvement in the art of separating matte containing copper andnickel, which consists in fusing the matte together with a polysulfid ofan alkaline metal.

4. An improvement in the art of separating matte containing copper andanother metal, which consists in fusing the matte with the polysulfid ofan alkaline metal.

5. An improvement in the art of separating matte containing cop er andanother metal, which consists in ing the matte with the sulfid of analkaline metal and adding sulfur to thecharge in addition to that whichis contained in said sulfid.

6. An improvement in the art of separating matte containing 061) er andanother metal, which consists in ing the matte with a charge containingthe sulfate of an alkaline metal and carbon, together with sulfur inadditionto that which 1s contained in the sulfate, whereby the sulfateis reduced to a sulfid and is combined with the added sulfur and as apolysulfid acts upon the matte.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand December 22,1905.

, ROBERT R. MAFFETT.

Witnessesz' Tnoms W. BAmwELL, GEORGE E. SONNEBORN.

